Information is power

Online line information can empower us to take action to better our lives and help us keep up-to-date without driving or spending time going through a phone tree or on hold. Virginia government has two examples of using agency websites to give citizens, the customers, information they need.

The Virginia State Board of Elections has a link that will allow you to check the status of your registration. Simply go to the SBE website and click the big red check mark. Enter your name, birthdate, and locality and your registration status is confirmed. But, there is more than that! Keep clicking and you can find your polling place with directions, which legislative districts you live in, and much more. With over 200,000 newly registered Virginia voters since the first of the year, many may have questions about their registration and other aspect of voting. The SBE website has an abundance of other information about running for office and stats on previous elections. Check it out.

The Virginia Department of Health has a similar abundance of information on food safety, emergency preparedness, tick borne diseases, etc. They recently added a link with information about smoke-free restaurants in each locality. My only gripe - I wish they'd link this right on the main page of VDH rather than bury it under restaurant inspections. Hope they keep it updated as more restaurants go smoke free.